Computing systems include the capability to perform logic and/or arithmetic operations. Computing systems may include, for example, personal computers, laptop computers, or servers. A computing system may include code in the form of instructions, including but not limited to one or more device drivers or operating systems. Many commonly known operating systems include, for example, Windows® 98 and NT, and the Unix and Linux classification or family of operating systems. Operating systems such as the ones described may manage and integrate several differing types of software and hardware, and provide a centralized access point for a user to utilize one or more of the hardware and/or software components.
When a computing system is initially powered on, the computing system can “hang” or not boot properly. This may be due to a number of factors, such as, for example, a missing or corrupted system file or kernel, or a malfunctioning hardware component. In this situation, user intervention may be required. This user intervention may consist of resetting the system, but may also require access and/or modification of one or more system files. For a system where there is no local user, a system may not have the ability to be reset, and a reset and subsequent successful boot may not be possible. Such systems that may not have a local user include, for example, an embedded device, telecom computing platforms, or a remote base station. A need may exist for a method and/or apparatus of reliably booting a computer system, which may detect and respond to unsuccessful boots even when there is no local user available.